זל אם סי

December to March is ski season, and the glacier at Kaprun gives reliable snow. June to September is warm enough for lake swimming and hiking. Spring and autumn are quiet, and some lifts close for maintenance. Winters are cold and snowy.

• Zeller See is the lake at the heart of the town. Swim, rent a boat or walk the shore path.
• Schmittenhöhe is the town's own mountain, reached by cable car, with ski runs and summer hiking trails.
• Schloss Rosenberg is a small castle in the old town.
• Vogtturm Museum is a museum of local history in a medieval tower.
• Stadtpfarrkirche St. Hippolyt is the parish church in the old town.
• Strandbad Thumersbach is a lido on the quieter side of the lake.
• The Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun gives year-round snow and views.
• The Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria's highest paved pass, is about 45 minutes away.

• Ski the Schmittenhöhe or the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.
• Swim and paddle on the lake in summer.
• Walk or cycle around the lake.
• Take a cable car and hike a ridge trail.
• Drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in summer.

• Kaprun is the gateway to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, about 15 minutes away.
• Saalfelden lies in a valley under rocky peaks, about 20 minutes away.
• Saalbach is a large ski area, about 30 minutes away.
• Bad Gastein is a historic spa town in a waterfall setting, about 1 hour by car.
• Kitzbühel is a famous ski town, about 45 minutes by car.
• Salzburg is about 1 hour by car or 1 hour 30 minutes by train.

• Kaprun, Saalfelden and Saalbach are the closest resorts.

• By air: Salzburg Airport is about 1 hour away by car. Innsbruck and Munich are the other options.
• By train: Zell am See has a station on the Salzburg–Innsbruck line. Salzburg takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: The town is reached from the A10 motorway via the B311 road.

The old town and the lakefront are small and walkable. Local buses and ski buses link Kaprun and other nearby villages. Boats cross the lake in summer. A summer card gives free use of cable cars and public transport in the region.

A car is helpful for the Grossglockner road and nearby valleys. The old town has restricted traffic. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. Motorways in Austria need a vignette. The Grossglockner road is a toll road and is closed in winter.

Salzburg-region food includes Kasnocken, cheese dumplings, and Kaiserschmarrn. Lake fish such as char and whitefish appear on menus. Mountain huts serve simple dishes in summer and winter.

Zell am See is very safe. Be careful on the water in changing weather. Stay on marked runs and follow avalanche warnings in winter. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Zell am See grew around a monastery cell founded in the 8th century, from which it takes its name. It later became a market town and a base for trade. Tourism grew in the 19th century with the railway and the lake. The Kitzsteinhorn cable cars opened in the 1960s.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: